A table saw is a power tool used to cut a work piece to a desired size. A table saw includes a work surface or table and a circular blade extending up through the table. A person uses a table saw by holding a work piece on the table and feeding it past the spinning blade to make a cut. The table saw is one of the most basic machines used in woodworking.
The blade of a table saw, however, presents a risk of injury to a user of the saw. If the user accidentally places their hand in the path of the blade, or if their hand slips into the blade, then the user could receive a serious injury or amputation. Accidents also happen because of what is called kickback. Kickback may occur when a work piece contacts the downstream edge of the blade as it is being cut. The blade then propels the work piece back toward the user at a high velocity. When this happens, the user's hand may be carried into the blade because of the sudden and unexpected movement of the work piece.
Safety systems or features are incorporated into table saws to minimize the risk of injury. Probably the most common safety feature is a guard that physically blocks an operator from making contact with the blade. In many cases, guards effectively reduce the risk of injury, however, there are many instances where the nature of the operations to be performed precludes using a guard that completely blocks access to the blade.
Other safety systems have been developed to detect when a human body contacts a predetermined portion of a machine, such as detecting when a user's hand touches the moving blade on a saw. When that contact is detected, the safety systems react to minimize injury.
The present document discloses an improved design for a table saw. The design is particularly adapted to implement safety systems that detect and react to dangerous conditions.